Alleged rapist heading to trial

VALLEY — An accused rapist was held on all charges Monday following a preliminary hearing on an alleged incident at a mushroom house.

Efrain Duran Isais, 20, is accused of forcing a woman to have sex with him at knife-point on Dec. 7 after she drove him to a mushroom house in the 1500 block of Valley Road, according to a criminal complaint filed by police.

The alleged victim took the stand during Monday’s preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Grover E. Koon and identified Isais as her alleged attacker. She testified Isais, whom she had seen once before but had never spoken to, knocked on her door and asked for a ride to a nearby mushroom house on the night of Dec. 7.

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According to the victim’s testimony, she agreed to give Isais a ride when he said he needed to get money from his brother so he could send it back to his family in Mexico. Once there, she testified, Isais asked her to pull her car into a garage where he said his brother was waiting. After she parked, she said Isais exited the vehicle and shut the garage door behind them, and then told her to get out of the car.

When she did, the victim testified, Isais allegedly grabbed her from behind, drew a large knife and ordered her to take off her clothes and perform sexual acts on him.

“He jumped up behind me and grabbed me by the neck, he pulled a knife,” the victim said. “He told me to do what he said. I was I terrified, I thought I was going to die.”

She told the court Isais was holding the knife during the act, and that she complied out of fear for her life. The alleged victim said she begged Isais not to hurt or kill her.

According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victim drove Isais back to the area of her apartment. After Isais got out the car she waited until he was a safe distance away before yelling that she was going to call police, the complaint said. Isais then allegedly told the victim he would kill her if she reported the attack.

Following the alleged victim’s testimony, Koon ruled there was enough evidence to send Isais to trial on all charges. Koon also raised Isais’ bail from $25,000 to $75,000. Isais’ next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 14 in the court of common pleas.